prove network is truly unavailable

Question

I have an old school foxpro web app that I am trying to help limp along while I rewrite the system. Every day, multiple times, I get this following error message: The specified network name is no longer available.

Does anyone have any suggestions how to troubleshoot this? Perhaps, prove to my IT guys that there really is a network issue. I have theories, but I have no idea how to prove anything, it always comes back to foxpro sucks rewrite it now.

I'll take any help, tools, and will answer any questions that may clarify this for you.

thanks

Answer 1

In addition to the comments about IP address, is the setting on the network controller to be energy efficient? and thus turn itself off when not actively in use.

Answer 2

We have a very large multi-user VFP application on hundreds of sites. Occasionally you get this sort of problem. It is almost always down to environmental issues.

Had one just recently where a client had two machines continually crashing out of the VFP application. Network IT guys swearing up and down that it's not their problem. But what's this in the System Log of both machines? Why, it's the Broadcom NIC reporting a network link loss detected at the same times the application crashed.

Check if the client and server NICs in your situation can report this.

Answer 3

You could consider writing a small program that pings the network resource periodically. You might just look for a file and if the network is failing and the program cannot find the file email the folks in charge of the network and yourself. This would be an independent app, and best if not written in FoxPro so you can independently prove it is not the application or the language/tool it was written in.

I have seen this when networks have bad wiring, a bad port on the switch/hub, a failing NIC in the mix, and sometimes when the network is just flooded with requests from workstations.

You also did not mention if this was a wireless connection. I am hoping not, but I have seen wireless (especially slower wireless) hubs fail with respect to the network overload and slow and unreliable performance. Especially compared to a wired network.

Rick Schummer